Machine for assembling ophthalmic mountings



Dec. 27, 1938. s. E, BOUCHARD 2,141,288

MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING OPHTHALMIC MOUNTINGS Filed Feb. 1, 1957 SAM U E L E .BOUCHARD INVENTOR.

w w BY I A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING OPHTHALMIC MOUNTINGS Samuel E. Bouchard, Rochester, N. Y., to Bausch & Lomb' Optical Company,

assignor Roches- 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for assembling ophthalmic mountings by the application of heat and pressure and more particularly to machines of the type described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,978,890, dated October 30, 1934.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine for assembling ophthalmic mountings by the application of heat and pressure, which machine is simple and rugged in construction yet efiicient in operation. Another object is to provide an improved machine for bolding and heating an ophthalmic mounting during assembly. These and other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the other side of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the lens strap positioning member.

Fig. 6 is a front view of an ophthalmic mounting.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawing wherein l indicates a base upon which is mounted an upright support II. A bracket I2 is fixedly mounted on top of the support H and terminates in an outwardly extending arm 13. A second arm l4 of non-conducting material such as Bakelite or the like, is secured to the bracket l2 by screws and projects outwardly in parallel spaced relation to the arm 13. The arm I 4 is provided with a vertical groove l6 adjacent its outer end to receive a positioning element IT. This positioning element I! has an aperture ill of the exact size and shape of the strap 19 of the ophthalmic mounting indicated generally at 20. While this aperture l8 and strap I 9 have been illustrated as pentagonal, they may obviously be of any desired outline. The positioning element I1 is clamped in the groove [6 by means of a plate 2| which is carried by a screw 22 extending through the arm M.

A plate 23 of conducting material is secured on the bottom of the arm 14, by means of screws 24 and a conducting screw 25 is threaded through the plate 23 and the arm l4 so that it extends into the aperture I8 oi the positioning element l1. As shown in Fig. 4, this screw makes contact with the strap I9 of the mounting 20.

A lever 26 is pivotally secured to the bracket [2 by means of a screw 21 and a jaw 28 having a slot 29 is adjustably secured on the free end of the lever 26 by a screw 30. The lever 26 and the arm [4 are provided with projections 3| and 32, respectively, and a spring 33 engages these projections to urge the lever 26 and jaw 28 toward the arm M to clamp the ophthalmic mounting 20 in the aperture !8 of the positioning element I! as shown in Fig. 4. The jaw 28 may be lifted from the mounting 20 by means of a cam 34 which is rotatably mounted in the bracket l2 under the control of a lever 35. Two stop pins 36 and 31 on the bracket l2 serve to limit the movement of the lever 35.

Pressure is applied to the fusible or plastic plug of the ophthalmic mounting by a plunger 38 which is slidable in a bushing 39 of non-conducting material carried in the arm l3. A spring 40 serves to urge the plunger 38 away from the mounting 20.

The heating current is supplied to the mounting 20 from a transformer 4| through leads 42 and 43 connected, respectively, to the plate 23 and the screw 21. The lever 26 and jaw 28 are of conducting material so that current flows through the mounting 20 between the contact screw 25 to the jaw 28 thus localizing the heating to the desired area as much as possible. The plunger 38 being insulated, is not heated and serves to hasten the setting of the connecting plug.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I am able to attain the objects of my invention and provide a machine for assembling ophthalmic mountings, which machine is simple, rugged and strong in construction yet eificient in operation. Various modifications can, of course, be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a support, two arms fixed to said support in spaced relation, positioning means on one of said arms for receiving a strap of an ophthalmic mounting, a jaw movably mounted on the other of said arms, means for urging said jaw toward said positioning means, means for impressing a voltage across said jaw and said positioning means whereby a heating current can be made to flow through a mounting on said positioning means, and a plunger slidably mounted on said other of said arms in'alignment with said positioning means.

2. In a device of the character described, a support, an arm of non-conducting material carried by said support, a positioning member carried by said arm for receiving a strap of an ophthalmic mounting, a contact element carried by said arm for engaging said strap, a second arm fixed to said support in spaced relation to the first-mentioned arm, a jaw movably mounted on said second arm, means urging said jaw toward said first arm to clamp an ophthalmic mounting against said positioning member, means for impressing a voltage across said contact member and said jaw whereby a heating current will flow through an ophthalmic mounting clamped therebetween, and a plunger slidably carried by said second arm in alignment with said positioning member.

SAMUEL E. BOUCHARD. 

